Business Knowledge Center

Company and NGO Resources

Google

Google has a small business toolkit for tips on how to leverage their free resources and  how-to videos through their Youtube site to visually explain these offerings.  Watch video tutorials on the following:

IBM

AAFA

The American Apparel & Footwear Association has partnered with the U.S. Chamber of Commerce to provide a toolkit that provides companies with specific steps they can take to prevent their products and services from being counterfeited or pirated.

AT&T

AT&T released a new service package that caters to small businesses that may be struggling with bills in the current economy. The “All for Less” bundle telecommunications package allows qualifying small businesses the opportunity to obtain wireless, wire and high-speed Internet services in packages that have prices beginning as low as $100 per month.

Chevron Corporation

In an effort to support small businesses, Chevron recently spent approximately $2.9 billion on goods and services provided by small and medium-size businesses in the United States, including $515 million with minority-owned businesses and $450 million with women-owned businesses.

Deloitte

Deloitte has created a web portal that offers ideas, research, and perspectives aimed at helping business leaders manage and advance their companies through these difficult times.

Deutsche Bank Americas

Grants from the Deutsche Bank Americas Foundation support neighborhood-based organizations that develop affordable housing, support the creation of new businesses, generate employment opportunities and address critical service needs. The majority of grants in this category are sourced through three-year awards issued through various Requests for Proposals made available to qualified organizations.

DTE Energy

DTE Energy’s Economic Development staff is dedicated to the retention and expansion of Michigan businesses as well as attracting new companies. They offer a wide variety of services at no cost including: Confidential building and site location assistance, Community and economic development partnerships, Business climate information and expert energy advice.

Entergy

Entergy coordinates economic development efforts in its four-state utility service area by business, government and civic leaders.

Fairmount Minerals and Subsidiaries

Fairmount Minerals, Ltd. will advance the education of current and future business leaders in sustainability through two gifts, totaling $2.4 million, to the Weatherhead School of Management at Case Western Reserve University. The gift will allow Weatherhead to add extensively to its work in social entrepreneurship and business sustainability.

Fifth Third Bank

Fifth Third Bank Community Development Corporation (CDC) provides capital for three primary purposes: create quality affordable housing, fund construction projects that revitalize business districts and living areas, and invest in historic restoration endeavors that help preserve the legacies of the past.

Fifth Third CDC invested $225 million in projects to revitalize and bring hope to local communities.  In Nashville and Charlotte, Fifth Third invested a combined $12.5 Million in low income affordable housing for startup projects.

Gifts in Kind International

Is Excess Inventory Threatening Your Bottom Line? This article provides 10 points for a business to follow if they want to keep their high standard of giving, but can not always do so monetarily due to the economic times. Learn how the products you already have in hand can make a great donation and provide tax incentives along the way.

Guardian Life Insurance Company of America

The Guardian Life Insurance Company of America (Guardian) is offering financial protection which can make it easier for start-up enterprises to secure the commercial loans they need to grow their businesses. It insures up to 100% of monthly loan payments (principal and interest, provided the obligation rests with a single principal) should a business owner become totally disabled.

Health Care Service Corporation

Solutions from Blue Cross and Blue Shield companies and state governments, including premium subsidy programs in Arizona and Oklahoma, are helping to expand coverage for workers at small businesses.

Intuit, Inc.

Intuit’s “Small Business United” campaign features a stimulus package aimed at helping America’s 27 million small businesses save money, get more customers, and save time.  This includes free software and services, grants to small businesses, and financial donations to organizations that help budding entrepreneurs.

The stimulus package includes:

  • Free software and services from Intuit valued at nearly $1,000 per small business to help them succeed.
  • $315,000 in small business grants to give entrepreneurs the extra boost needed during a tough economic climate.
  • $50,000 in donations to organizations that help budding entrepreneurs get started and advise existing businesses looking to grow

KPMG

KPMG is providing information on current issues on their website which is currently dominated with economic recovery.  Their web portal ”Succeeding in turbulent times” is a resource for individuals and businesses who have questions in these uncertain economic times.

March for Jobs

Up to 80 percent of all new jobs come from small businesses. That’s why a coalition of community development activists and financiers created the March for Jobs, an online rallying point for individuals to champion the role of small business in job creation. Join the March for Jobs and donate, advocate or share to show your support for job growth in your own communities.

New Jersey Natural Gas

NJ Natural Gas has teamed up with the New Jersey Economic Development Authority to help finance loans of up to $200,000 for startup capital and real estate costs for small businesses owned by women and minorities.

NVTC.org

NVTC has an aid for small businesses in the technology field – start up and sustaining practices advice.

PNC

PNC is supporting the objectives of the Emergency Economic Stabilization Act. To that end, PNC is continuing to make credit available to qualified borrowers including enhance calling efforts on small businesses and corporations.

PriceWaterHouseCoopers

Read PwC’s analysis of the US stimulus package, the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA), to understand how the stimulus package can affect your business strategy.

Progress Energy

Progress Energy offers powerful solutions to help locate or expand businesses in North Carolina, South Carolina and Florida.

RetroTax

RetroTax®, specialists in tax credit administration, offers employers a free tax credit analysis, to determine if your business is eligible to receive valuable tax incentives through federal and state employment tax credit programs.

Shell Oil Company

The Shell Center for Sustainability of Rice University was created for engaging in a variety of activities for sharing knowledge about best practices in sustainability, developing new technologies and processes, and educating the public and private sectors on sustainable development issues and policies.

Small Business TV

SBTV.com is the first television network on the web devoted 100 percent to the small business market – from business start-ups to established enterprises.

UnitedHealth Group

The kit, entitled “Investing in A Tobacco-Free Future: How it Benefits Your Bottom Line & Community,” was produced by Partnership for Prevention and the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, with funding from the United Health Foundation. It is being mailed this week to every FORTUNE 500 company in America, and it can be accessed online.

Smoking-related illness results in almost $100 billion in health care costs each year, while smokers on average are absent from work seven to 10 more days per year than non-smokers. As the toolkit points out, businesses also incur sizable tobacco-related costs not related to health. Commercial cigarette fires cause about $500 million in damages and kill 2,000 people each year, while cleaning costs associated with smoking in the workplace total about $4 billion per year.”

U.S. Chamber of Commerce

Stories from members and small businesses on how they are handling the current recession.

Visa

Small businesses tools to Visa card holders to help manage money, plan, and networking.

Washington Business Journal

Wash. Biz Journal Small business advice center offers resources and suggestions for running small businesses.

Westin Hotels

Now through August 31, 2009, meeting planners that book a new meeting with 10 or more room nights will receive 4% off of their master account plus a complimentary morning or afternoon refreshment break from PepsiCo.  Additionally, companies will have a chance to win a private concert for a charity of their choice.

Yum Brands Inc., KFC

KFC has come up with a creative public private partnership and has offered its services to Louisville-Jefferson County Metro Government to fill the city’s potholes and  to conduct street repairs, which would include the message “Re-Freshed by KFC” stenciled in temporary street chalk.  Major gifts from corporations like KFC to municipal government can make a huge impact as city leaders see their budgets become tighter and funding is tough for projects such as this one.

Federal Government Resources

American Recovery and Reinvestment Act

Department of Commerce

Department of Education

Department of Health and Human Services (HHS)

Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD)

Department of Labor

  • DOL Information Related to the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009

Internal Revenue Service

Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC)

  • Property Disposition Exploring Different Approaches for Preserving Affordable Housing Opportunities

Small Business Administration

  • Business.gov , government-sponsored online community built specifically for small businesses.
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